The 2015 Dirt 100
It’s that time of year again, the Dirt 100 will be landing in the shops next week and on subscribers doormats a few days earlier. This year the whole look and feel of the 100 has changed. Steve Jones has been at the helm, his ability to find the most interesting locations to pose some of the best performing kit in is bang on. Our resident World Cup snapper Laurence Crossman-Emms has been shooting for the first time and the results are stunning. We have been keeping the delivery men busy with a daily flow of products and bikes coming through the doors and we think we’ve got something special for you. Steve takes up the story and explains what goes into this annual of bikes and kit.
Words: Steve Jones Photos: Laurence Crossman-Emms
Hell, it was difficult to make the call and some have been squeezed out on very small details
Each year it’s a great time to focus attention on where a particular bike sits in the pecking order. There are thirty bikes in this year’s Dirt 100 including ten downhill bikes, a stack load of all-mountain/enduro models and half a dozen trail bikes. Hell it was difficult to make the call and some have been squeezed out on very small details but we feel this to be the definitive list of what’s what. We’ve also got a trail/enduro fork of the year plus three very special bikes that have risen above the rest. Its been a great year as prices have been falling off a cliff and performance has been increased by some brands putting the pressure on other manufacturer’s to get it right.
We’ve tried to move away from the catalogue feel, have had a major change in photography style and location, and have included five features culminating in a trip to Lourdes World Cup downhill track and a then over the border to Spain to take in some of the stages on next year’s Enduro World Series. It was an amazing trip in which to test some of the products.
It’s pretty hilarious that people think that some or indeed any of the products have been levered into the Dirt 100 through ‘paid-for editorial.’ Well there are none, simple as that. Each bike and product featured is based on merit and testing, we can back up each and every one firm in knowledge it was the correct choice.
Hopefully there is something in there for everyone, what is interesting is that the prices on some of the best bikes have been pretty reasonable this year and it also shows some great performances by European brands too.
Hope you enjoy it!
Cheers,
Steve Jones
The Dirt 100 is out in the shops next week and if you are a subscriber you will get it a few days early. We’ll be dropping a few hints as to the contents of the mag in the next week so keep your eyes peeled.
